#SpookySpread- Playing in the Dark
It is once again time to delve into #SpookySpread, and take a look at the horror genre. Today, I wanted to discuss my opinion on popular survival horror, Amnesia: the Dark Descent.
We have discussed before that the distinction between light and dark is essential in horror video games, for a variety of reasons. If the scene is too well lit, and nothing is left to the imagination, you don't have to attempt to fill in the blanks, and wonder if you can trust your eyes. If it is too dark, then you miss vital pieces of information or setting, and the game becomes less scary, and infinitely more frustrating. Which is why it surprises me that there are some video games relying heavily on depriving the player of light, and even punishing you for it.
I started playing one such game, Amnesia: the Dark Descent, recently, as I was promised it would be one of the most unsettling horror games I could play, and I got very excited by this. I was ready to be lost in the world of Amnesia, explore the old castle, and piece together the past of player character, Daniel.
There was a lot that I enjoyed in what I played. The atmosphere was claustrophobic, despite it's seemingly large size, and the discoveries that you make as you try to figure out exactly what is going on add to the unsettling air. But, for me at least, that was all bogged down by the darkness mechanic.
What is the darkness mechanic? A fair question. As Daniel explores, there are many dark areas in the castle, that can be lit by a lantern that you carry around, or by lighting candles on walls and furniture. That doesn't sound so bad, right? Well, as is common in survival horror, your supplies are limited. You need to ensure that your stock of lantern oil and tinderboxes doesn't dwindle too far. Well, at least if you can't see properly, you can likely stumble around until you find more oil? No, not really. If Daniel spends too long in the dark, his sanity depletes, and he descends into madness. And this low sanity level has dangerous repercussions. Daniel will be easier to spot by enemies, his vision will blur, he has difficulty moving, and it can even drain his health if his sanity is not recovered in time (and the way to do that is never explained in detail in the game).
I have no problems with resource management in video games. I think that when it is done well, it can add an extra layer of challenge and enjoyment to a game. In survival horror, this limited resource system is by no means uncommon, and can assist in mounting the tension and pressure as you play. However, in Amnesia: the Dark Descent, I found it to be more frustrating than anything, for a variety of reasons.
Firstly, as I said, with no light, your sanity drains, making it easier for the enemies to spot you. That mightn't be such a big deal in other games, but in this one, it is a huge deal. Daniel is defenceless against the monsters that prowl the castle. He cannot attack them, he cannot defeat them, and if he even stares at them for too long, his sanity drains away. If you get spotted, all you can do is run and hide. Which is difficult when it is easier for them to see you.
Secondly, it is so hard to interact with the environment when you aren't using your lantern, or there are no lit candles nearby. This game relies on the atmosphere, and your exploration of the setting, and it is all but impossible if you do run out of oil or tinderboxes.
And, another issue that I noticed when I was playing is that, if you die, you go back to your previous check point, which is all well and good. But your oil doesn't check point. It is still drained. I was in a flooded room, trying to avoid standing in the water, and desperately trying to conserve my oil supply and sanity, when I found a bottle of oil. I happily added it to my lantern, and continued on my way. When I was killed by the monster lurking in the water, I returned to my checkpoint, and any oil I used was gone. And the oil I found in the room was not there to be found again. I felt like I was being punished for having difficulty in an already challenging game.
Ultimately, the challenge didn't feel like something that I could gain victory over, and the more and more I tried, the less compulsion I had to keep picking up the controller. As much as I was excited by the premise, the execution was disappointing and generally not enjoyable. I hope to one day be able to muscle through (as I am positive I am missing out on something wonderful), but for now, I think I will play some of my other games.
What do you guys think? Did you enjoy the game? Did you have the same difficulties I did? Is there something I am doing wrong? I hope that you enjoyed this week's #SpookySpread. Feel free to check me out over at my personal Twitter, @gsrebecka, where I Tweet about horror, and other such things. Remember, stay spooky!
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| Amnesia: the Dark Descent |
We have discussed before that the distinction between light and dark is essential in horror video games, for a variety of reasons. If the scene is too well lit, and nothing is left to the imagination, you don't have to attempt to fill in the blanks, and wonder if you can trust your eyes. If it is too dark, then you miss vital pieces of information or setting, and the game becomes less scary, and infinitely more frustrating. Which is why it surprises me that there are some video games relying heavily on depriving the player of light, and even punishing you for it.
I started playing one such game, Amnesia: the Dark Descent, recently, as I was promised it would be one of the most unsettling horror games I could play, and I got very excited by this. I was ready to be lost in the world of Amnesia, explore the old castle, and piece together the past of player character, Daniel.
There was a lot that I enjoyed in what I played. The atmosphere was claustrophobic, despite it's seemingly large size, and the discoveries that you make as you try to figure out exactly what is going on add to the unsettling air. But, for me at least, that was all bogged down by the darkness mechanic.
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| Well, that's normal... |
I have no problems with resource management in video games. I think that when it is done well, it can add an extra layer of challenge and enjoyment to a game. In survival horror, this limited resource system is by no means uncommon, and can assist in mounting the tension and pressure as you play. However, in Amnesia: the Dark Descent, I found it to be more frustrating than anything, for a variety of reasons.
Firstly, as I said, with no light, your sanity drains, making it easier for the enemies to spot you. That mightn't be such a big deal in other games, but in this one, it is a huge deal. Daniel is defenceless against the monsters that prowl the castle. He cannot attack them, he cannot defeat them, and if he even stares at them for too long, his sanity drains away. If you get spotted, all you can do is run and hide. Which is difficult when it is easier for them to see you.
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| Do you think he saw me? |
Secondly, it is so hard to interact with the environment when you aren't using your lantern, or there are no lit candles nearby. This game relies on the atmosphere, and your exploration of the setting, and it is all but impossible if you do run out of oil or tinderboxes.
And, another issue that I noticed when I was playing is that, if you die, you go back to your previous check point, which is all well and good. But your oil doesn't check point. It is still drained. I was in a flooded room, trying to avoid standing in the water, and desperately trying to conserve my oil supply and sanity, when I found a bottle of oil. I happily added it to my lantern, and continued on my way. When I was killed by the monster lurking in the water, I returned to my checkpoint, and any oil I used was gone. And the oil I found in the room was not there to be found again. I felt like I was being punished for having difficulty in an already challenging game.
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| I wonder what is up those stairs? |
Ultimately, the challenge didn't feel like something that I could gain victory over, and the more and more I tried, the less compulsion I had to keep picking up the controller. As much as I was excited by the premise, the execution was disappointing and generally not enjoyable. I hope to one day be able to muscle through (as I am positive I am missing out on something wonderful), but for now, I think I will play some of my other games.
What do you guys think? Did you enjoy the game? Did you have the same difficulties I did? Is there something I am doing wrong? I hope that you enjoyed this week's #SpookySpread. Feel free to check me out over at my personal Twitter, @gsrebecka, where I Tweet about horror, and other such things. Remember, stay spooky!
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